BuTuna,Idd, it was great meeting you in C B with a.o. some nice talking about the tuskers...

I wish I could make you happy with some names but can't ID any so far.I understand you thought about Shisha but it is not him. Many differences at his ear marks...Shisha had many small notche, better to say a ragged left ear. Also another notch at the bottom of his left ear...

[quote="BluTuna"]Hi Aat!

I'm glad you got back safely from your trip here! Was good to meet you & Elly!

Here are the first of the big guys that I would like to get ID'd or confirmed.

No 1. Not sure if this one is big enough to be a tusker. taken in the vicinity of Mopani camp.

No 2. Taken at Mooiplaas Water hole, I didn't realise that the one at the back had such long tusks until I was processing these pictures when I got home.No 3. On the S50 near Shingwedzi, I think this is Shisha. I remember being impressed by the size of this elephant!

Joined: Thu Mar 10, 2011 11:45 amPosts: 375Location: Back home in the ratrace.

Aat wrote:

BuTuna,Idd, it was great meeting you in C B with a.o. some nice talking about the tuskers...

I wish I could make you happy with some names but can't ID any so far.I understand you thought about Shisha but it is not him. Many differences at his ear marks...Shisha had many small notche, better to say a ragged left ear. Also another notch at the bottom of his left ear...

Hi Aat,

Thanks for trying, Here are the others I got during my trip :-

Babalala? at Babalala waterhole.

This one was between Shingwedzi and Mopani, not sure if he's big enough to be a tusker.

I think this one may be Matrix but I'm really not sure.

Unfortunately, this was the best picture I got of this big guy - he really has an enormous left tusk but I didn't get to see the right one. Taken on the S90 north of Satara.

This one was a few Kms north of Orpen Dam on the S35.

And lastly, on the S122 north of Lower Sabie.

_________________15-17 November 2013, day visitor at Croc Bridge gate.18 November 2013, Lower Sabie

BluTunaI really tried to ID the ones you showed, but besides of MaTrix the other ones are not named tuskers so far.The positive thing about it is, also looking at pictures I received from others ... there is a nice number of promising tuskers.

I will tell a bit more about it in my post about MAC.

Sorry BluTuna... I really wanted to make you happy with some names but I follow my own rules with ...being 100% sure about a name or being convinced about the name even when I am wrong after all... I also see some bulls with almost similar marks (like one of your bulls shown...with loose piece of skin in left ear but it is not one of the named ones with such a loose piece of skin, other marks are just different.

On our very last day in the park on 26.02.2012 on the tar road shortly before the main entrance of Shingwedzi camp we had the honour in spotting Mavatsani and one askari - In the following a short part out of my trip report

so we started to absorb everything and whilst looking around I realized in the distance in the river bed a huge elephant with long tusks and same was moving into the direction of the road and so we decided to hurry on as maybe from one of the many view points on the tar road leading to Shingewdzi camp we might have the possibility in seeing him a bit closer but gladly it came even better as first his askari popped out of the bushes and crossed the road in front of us

and after quite a while with some pictures with only a bush in front of his head he followed his friend with a large amount of remaining breakfast in his mouth

and demonstrating who the boss is!

Not only that he was wearing a nice pair of tusks he is also one of the larger ones and quite an impressive appearance

but was not in all interested in any way in us - He simply wanted to follow his friend.

On the other side of the road both walked still parallel to us and from time to time between one of the many bushes we got nice views onto him again and due to the remarkable V-shape in his left ear I could recognize him as Mavatsani - a known tusker!

The two of them removed more and more deeper into the bush and with this very last picture to also demonstrate the largeness of Mavatsani's tusks compared to his friend

A pity was the we only got side views of his head and not a frontal view but hey you cannot have everything.

Philip,Nice comment... and I ask myself sometimes the question: "how many people visiting the Park today do pay more attention to these big guys then some years ago" ?. It was funny to hear and see during my last trip hoew many do carry the tusker documents printed and/or on their laptop... Well, the more the better, so we can expect more posts here...like the one below....

Philip1 wrote:

:thumbs_up: Hi all with your Big Tuskers, thanks for sharing. I am learning slowly but will get thereA person do not realise how many of them roam in the Park, always just see another Ellie

Pumbaa,Great shots of Mavatsani !! I recognize the feeling of looking at a named big tusker for some time and waiting he will show his face...I waited for Mandzemba while he was socializing and eating and "removing" small trees... it took 1 1/2 hour before he finally showed himself completely and even crossed the road for me ...Difference is... I am a tusker whisperer

It's great to see that Mavatsani is around and doing well.... Hope to see or hear something about Machachule too soon... last pics I got did not promise a good future.

Pumbaa, hope to see Mavatsani's pics soon if you can find a minute to send them

Pumbaa , thank you for sharing your pics of Mavatsani . You know , I first spotted him in October 2010 at Babalala , and sent his pics to Aat , which was when he then first named him , so I always like to consider Mavatsani " as mine " .Unfortunately I have not seen him again since that first time , but certainly I have a soft spot for him . Good to see this magnificent tusker still well and thriving

_________________Tread softly , and let your departure not be spoiled by the damage of your arrival

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